


Surveilled

by KatieComma



Series: MacGyverAppreciationFortnight [4]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Intervention, Team as Family, macgyverappreciationfortnight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-07-16 05:29:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16079420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatieComma/pseuds/KatieComma
Summary: The team has come across some information Riley has been keeping from them, and they confront her about it.





	Surveilled

**Author's Note:**

> Catching up on MacGyverAppreciationFortnight - Day 7 was Team as Family - this is a Team as Family moment I would LOVE to see.
> 
> It definitely does not fit into canon... sorry... but this is the way I wanted it to happen and I just couldn't twist it to make it work with what happens in the show.

Everyone stops talking the moment Riley sets foot on Mac’s deck. Something is up.

The fire is lit, the cool SoCal night is clear, and there is a tub full of ice, and bottles of beer next to the fire pit.

“Hey guys,” Riley says warily as she slows her approach.

Jack is the only one who will look her in the eye, and he’s definitely upset about something. Mac, Bozer and Matty all look toward the fire, trying to play it cool.

“So, what’s up?” She asks, grabbing a beer and taking a seat directly across from Jack, as far away from him as she can get. If something’s got Jack riled up then she doesn’t want an earful from a foot away. Distance is best when Jack is mad.

“What’s up?” Jack echoes, the anger clear in his voice. “What’s up? Why don’t you tell us Riley? What’s up with you?” Uh oh. Using her full name instead of a nickname. This is really bad.

Intervention is in the air, but she isn’t sure what they could possibly have to confront her about. Riley chances a look at Mac, who feigns scratching his neck so he can look toward Jack instead.

Matty meets her eyes and speaks up instead. “Riley, we’ve come across some information and we’re hoping you can clarify a few things for us.”

“Ok, why is Matty using her Director Webber voice?” Riley asks. “What’s going on guys?” She tries to look at Bozer this time, but his eyes widen and he stares into the fire.

“Oh I don’t know,” Jack says, “why don’t you go ask Billy Colton? Maybe Billy can tell you what’s goin’ on?”

Uh oh. This is not the way she wanted them to find out.

“Wait, how did you guys-”

Matty sighs. “Word came down the grapevine that you were offered a job with the Coltons,” she says. “So I started running surveillance on them to make sure that, if you decided that’s what you wanted, you would have all the information. But-”

“But I was runnin’ surveillance on Billy when he flew into town yesterday and guess where he ended up?” Jack asks. Before Riley can open her mouth Jack climbs out of the fire pit and walks to the edge of the deck.

“We’re just hoping you can clarify what’s going on,” Matty says, trying to be diplomatic. “Have you taken the job?”

Riley sighs, setting her bottle down. “Me and Billy have been seeing each other since our plane just about went down,” she says. “I didn’t… we weren’t sure…” That’s where she stops because she’s still not sure. She doesn’t want to take the job, leave the Phoenix, but her and Billy are so great together. And long distance just isn’t cutting it.

Matty nods, and hands Riley a thick file. “There’s all the info we’ve gathered on the Coltons,” she says. “They’re clean. Good people. If you decide that’s what you want…” Matty falters, a choking sound coming from her throat, her eyes a little watery. “You just let me know and we’ll make it a smooth transition.”

Riley smiles and nods a thank you to Matty as she takes the file and sets it beside her. Having deposited her intel, Matty pats Riley briefly on the shoulder and makes her way out of the house.

Mac and Bozer are looking at her, both seemingly unsure what to say.

“You know, he seems like a great guy,” Bozer starts to babble, “I mean, he’s got that whole handsome yet scary vibe from the one time I met him. And he looks good in a hat. And bounty hunting? Man that sounds interestin’.”

Mac shoots Bozer a look.

“And I just remembered,” Bozer says nervously, “I got somethin’ to finish up in the house.”

Riley just looks into the fire and thinks about how much this is not what she wanted: An intervention about her secret boyfriend, if that’s what she even wants to call him.

Mac sits with her in companionable silence, scooting a little closer to lean in and speak to her quietly in confidence while Jack is standing at the railing only a few feet away.

“He’s a really cool guy,” Mac says, “pretty impressive resume. And working with the Coltons is a great opportunity. I would really think hard about working with your boyfriend’s mom though. She’s a handful.” Mac smiles, and jostles her shoulder with his own.

Riley laughs. He’s not wrong. Working with Mama Colton is definitely one of Riley’s larger concerns.

Mac’s face grows serious and his eyes flick to Jack and back to Riley. His voice gets even softer. “He was pretty upset about the whole thing. Go easy on him, ok?”

“Ya’ll know I’m standin’ right here?” Jack says without turning around. “I can hear every damn word you’re sayin’. I’m not deaf.”

Mac raises his voice back to normal volume and he stands up. “Well, I’ve gotta go…” the desperation on his face is palpable as he struggles for something. “…rewire the coax output… on my…” Finally he gives up. “I’ll be inside.” Mac retreats quickly, hopping down the steps into the house.

Riley sighs heavily, gathering herself for a conversation that is just plain going to suck. She stands up and walks to the railing. The city is stretched out in front of them. Lit up all sorts of beautiful colours. It’s the perfect place to have a serious, possibly life changing, conversation. Riley suddenly wonders how many conversations like that people have had at this particular railing.

“You could’a told me,” Jack says, his voice full of hurt.

Riley chances a look at his face, expecting anger, but it’s all sadness instead. His face scrunches up like he might cry, but Jack Dalton doesn’t cry. Except his deep brown eyes are glassy, and she wonders if he cries more than she knows and just doesn’t let her see it. She puts a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry Jack,” she says earnestly.

“I’m so sick of the secret business Ri,” he says. “We gotta lie to everyone out in the real world about who we are, and then even when we get home we’re all keepin’ secrets from each other. Just can’t get away from it.”

“Becomes habit I guess,” she replies.

“I don’t want it to be like that between you and me,” Jack says.

“No more secrets,” she says, not really committing or believing it. There will always be secrets. Maybe the world would be a better place if it wasn’t that way, but it’s human nature.

Jack scolds her with a look. “We’ve said that before,” he says, “never seems to take.”

Riley doesn’t have a response for that, and Jack looks disappointed. She hates that look. The look she strived to avoid when she was younger. She always wanted to see pride in his face instead.

“Come here,” she says, pulling him into a hug.

Jack laughs a little into her shoulder and she thinks she might feel a tear falling there too. She holds him tight, squeezing her eyes closed. It’s the same hug, the same warm arms, from when she was a kid. And she takes the same comfort from it.

“Come on then,” Jack says, breaking the hug, “tell me all about this job offer.”

“Not about Billy?” She asks, as they make their way back toward the fire pit.

“You know, I think me and Billy are gonna have enough to talk about without you providin’ me any extra details,” Jack huffs.

They sit down next to the fire and Riley gives the play by play on her offer from Coltons. It doesn’t escape her notice that Mac leans in the doorway and listens, a happy smile on his face, but they’re family so she doesn’t mind.

**Author's Note:**

> I am TERRIBLE at present tense. PLEASE let me know if there are any errors I need to correct.


End file.
